Drier for sheet material



June 26, 1928. 1,675,284 l A. J. vANczrs DRIER Fon SHEET MATERIAL Filed July 14, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 511mm v Arthur' c): Vme l June 26, 1928. 1,675,284

A. J. vANcE DRxEE Eon SHEET MATERIAL v Filed July 14, 1924 V5 Sheets-sheet 2 June 26, 192s. 1,675,284

' A. .1. vANcE y DRIER FDR SHEET MATERIAL Filed July 14, 1924 5 Shee'isLSheet 3 Patented June v26,- 1928.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

.ARTHUR J'. VANCE, 0F PAINES-VILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 THE COE IANUFAGTUBING COMPANY; OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

imma ron SHEET nunmal..

Application med July 14,

This invention relates to driers of the proessive type 'wherein the materlal to be ried isl passed gradually through a long drying chamber in which it is subjectedv to the action of a circulating drying medium such as moistor dry air, heat being also employed in the drying rocess. I Morev particularly t e invention relates to the control of the circulation of the drying medium, the lprovision and regulatlon of moisture in the same and economic control lgure 1 isa general outline plan view of a drier constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure, 3 is an end'view thereof.

Figure 4 is a view from the opposite end, the view being partly in'section to show the outflow of the air.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail plan view partly in section to show the inlet nozzles and the arrangement of the exhausts.

Figure is a detail side view partly in section to show the .veneer carryin rolls.

In the device hereinA illustrate there is shown a drier having a lo drying chamber forming the .main portlonof the device and vat one end thereof there is provided whatmaybe termed a feeding or supply chamber 11 while the other end is provided with an extension .12 forming a cooling chamber. l Within the'drying chamber and extending outwardly into the feeder are sets of feeder e rolls 13 which are driven by a suitable engine .indicated at 14, the ldriving connections not lbeing shown as ,forming` no'part of the inseen Vthat t 1924. serial No. raam.

vention. These rolls serve to feed the veneer, wall board or. the like from the-#feeder through the dr ing chamber to the cooler as shown by the dbuble headed `arrows in Figures 1 and 5, the air currents being indicated by single headed arrows. e

At one side of the drying chamber is 1ocated a circulating) fan or blower 15 which is driven by a suita le engine 16. The intake 17 of this fan is connected to a heating chamber 18 which is rovided with a fresh airinlet 19 controlled by a gate 20. The outlet or delivery end of this fan is connected by a delivery pipe 21 with down flow ipes 22- arran ed at the sides of thedrying c am-v ber at t e end adjacent the cooler, these down flow pipes being connected to the air delivery nozzles 23 located between respective rows of feeding rollers. At the opposite or feeder end of the drying chamber there is provided in the Hoor a pair of outlets 24 and centrally of the top is a third outlet 25, these outlets being connected b uptakes 26 to a header or outflow pi e 27. eading to an exhaust stack 28. Exten ing from the stack to the heater 18 is a by-pass or recirculating pipe 29 which formsl a continuation of the pipe 27, a leaf valve 30 being provided at the junction with the stack so that air flowing through the pipe 27 may be directed either into the stack or the by-pass or may be directed partly into one and partly into .the

other as maybe found desirable under thev conditions found requisiteto the proper drying of the particular material being treated in the drier. e

f For the purpose lof providing a proper moisture content to the air passing through the system a steam admission nozzle 31 is introduced in the systemat some oint in either the by-pass 29 or the pipe 21, t e 'steam or moisture being thus introduced between l 'the stack and theinlet nozzles'.

the operation of the device it will befy I els through the drying chamber in a direction opposite the material being dried. With content is so quickly evaporated that the air', even when hot, becomes saturated by the certain material it is found that the moisture time it passes through the drier once. Under such conditions the valve 30 is turned to cause all the exhaust air from the drying chamber to pass upthe stack and thegate`20 is fully opened to afford a plentiful supply of fresh air. Under other conditions the moisture is given off so slowly that the moisture content of the air is far below the saturation point. To discharge such air into the atmosphere would waste a large amount of heat but by adjusting the valve 30 and the gate 20 the discharge of this air may be so regulated that only enough fresh air isv admitted and only enough used air exhausted to make up [or the loss of absorptive capacity in the air after its passage throu h the drier, the greater portion of the air ing recirculated. Under still other conditions it is desirable to treat' the material in the drier with moist air without introducing fresh air and this may be accomplished by closing of the stack by the valve 30 and also closing the ate 20, moisture being admitted as de` sire through the nozzle 31. It will be seen,

that all this is accomplished by the use of a single fan or blower and only two valves or dampers, arecrculating damper or valve at the base of the stack and an inlet valve or gate. Furthermore the use of this apparatus permits reconditioning the air by reheating the humidilied air thus reducing its relative humidity-when referred to the point of saturation-since by increasin the temperature of theair its capacityfor a sorbing moisture is also increased. The device thus forms an automatic, progressive humidifying system. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. The combination with a drying chamberhavingl a. supply end and a delivery end; of perforated nozzles located at the delivery end of the drying chamber and extending substantially thereacross, a heating chamber to supply `heated air to said nozzles, means tol draw off air from the supply end of the drying chamber, including an exhaust stack, a 'recirculating .pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with the air supply means, and a single valve at the junction of the plpe and stack for selectively controlling the proportions of air flowing through the pipe and stack.

2. The combination with a. drying chamber having a supply end and -adelivery end; of perforated .nozzles located at the delivery end of the drying chamber and extending substantially thereacross, a heating chamber to supply heated air to said nozzles, means to draw off air from the supply end of the drying chamber, including an exhaust stack, a recirculating pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with said heating chamber, a single valve at the junction of the; pipe and stack for selectively controllingthe proportions of air flowing through the-pipe and to permit the supply of fresh air to theAV heating chamber and fan, perforated nozzles located at the delivery end of the drying chamber and extending substantially thereacross, an air supply pipe leading from the fan to said nozzles, air exhaust means at p the feeding end of the drying chamber and including an exhaust stack, a recirculating pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with the heating chamber and fan, and a single two-way valve at the junction of the pipe and stack for controlling the relative. proportions of air flowing through the stack and recirculating pipe.

4. In an automatic progressive humidifying system of the class described, the combination with a d ing chamber having a supply end and a de iver end; of perforated nozzles located at the elivery end of the drying chamber and extending substantially thereacross, a heating .chamber to supply vheated air to said nozzles, means to draw of air from the supply end of the drying chamber, including an exhaust stack, a recirculating pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with the air supply means, a single valve at the junction of the pipe and stack for selectively controlling the proportions of air flowing through the pipe and stack, and a steam vsuppl entering the system between the stack an the heating chamber.

5. In an automatic progressive humidifying system of the class described, the combination with a drying Achamber having a supply end and a delivery end; of perforated nozzles located at the delivery end of .the drying chamber and extending substantially thereacross, a heating chamber vto supply heated air to said nozzles, means to draw oli air from the-supply end of the chami ber, including an exhaust stack, a recirculat-I ing pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with the heating chamber, a single valve at the junction of the pipe and stack for selectively controlling thel proportions of air flowing through the pipe and stack, a single l valve connected with the heatingchamber controlling the supply of fresh air thereto, and a steam supply entering the system between the stack and the nozzles.

l 6.' In an automatic progressive humidifyl ing system of the class described, the combination with a drying chamber having a supply end and a delivery end; of an air circulating fan, an air heating chamber` connected to the fan, valved meansto permit the sup ly of fresh air to the heating chamber an fan, perforated nozzles located at the delivery end of the drying chamber and extending substantiall thereacross, an air supply pipe leading trom the fan tosaid nozzles, air exhaust means atthe feeding end 5 of the drying chamber and including an exhaust stack, a recirculating pipe connecting the bottom of the stack with the heating chamber and fan, a single two-way valve at the junction of the pipe and stack for controlling the relative proportions of air flowing through the stack and recirculating pipe, and a steam supply entering the system between the stack vand the nozzles.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

ARTHUR J. VANCE. 

